making life a little nicer off grid

29 May
2012

Highly Functional Steps for the RV

Life off the grid has quite a few perks.

It’s peaceful, inexpensive and full of beauty.

But…

I’m no different than anyone else. Everybody wants a little more comfort and function to make things a little easier. Cash flow and income limits what and how I can get done in any given month. With a bit of ingenuity and a little resourcefulness I’m slowly working on putting those “luxuries” in place. Patience and planning takes care of the rest.

all in good time

March was about finding a location to live off the grid and starting the process of eliminating items I no longer needed.

April was about getting the basic tools and choosing the best options to prepare and move the RV.

May was about moving the RV (which took a big chunk of change away from getting set up) and preparing the basic comforts.

Here’s what I got done in May.

Moved RV to location in the Muskoka
Prepared the clearing and living area for the RV
Adjusted to living in the RV
Explored my local towns to discover the amenities and resources available
Cleared pathways, replanted trees and trimmed the trails surrounding my area
Prepared an area to plant my garden
Organized the RV to be more functional and efficient
Set up my toilet and shower area (I have one in the RV and I’ll do a post about it later)
Set up my washing areas for dishes and laundry (also separate posts coming)
Made a comfortable lounge area (grabbed special cushions, pillows and a folding table)
Put up a very basic shelf to use the wasted front cabin for storage
Built a basic set of steps to replace the flimsy metal ones
Found a screened in tent for outside living
Prepared a mini garden box area to plant vegetables
Dug out rocks in the road and trimmed the edges
Moved items around on the property to clear clutter
Went to Library and Coffee shops to get articles written, posted and deal with communication

To some it may sound like I’m just meeting the bare minimum but I’m doing this with no AC power or fridge until next month, so I have to delicately balance charging items with the car using an inverter. I also have limited funds for food or gas, so I have to be careful about how I use my time and resources. I can get a couple days out of the computer with my extended life batteries but have to improve this to be really effective.

To get anything done outside, I have to deal with the bugs and weather.

To get anything done inside, I have to deal with the limited space.

Needless to say, I’m very pleased with the results and am working towards a pretty comfortable situation.

projects for next month

June is just around the corner and I have a few “major plans” to make life a whole lot easier. These involve some purchases from thrift stores, a bit of wood hopefully used from Habitat Restore and some building or crafting.

grab a couple comfortable camping chairs from the thrift shop
grab a comfy ikea chair I’ve seen at Habitat Restore
special screening for the windows and vents to eliminate the few bugs that get into the RV (also some sealing)
couple of light summer jackets from the thrift shop to craft a mosquito / bug proof attire
buy an inverter to give me AC power (I will than be able to charge the laptops, small devices and fridge)
rebuild my back closet and sink area (I tore it down to remove a Tool chest from the RV)
reinforce the flooring for my screened tent
build a 2 small shelf units in the RV
trim the floor to make it easier to clean and for appearance
build a small kitchen spice rack area
put in the vegetable garden (this weekend)
put up the solar panel which the owner is coming to do (this weekend)
more mini projects around the property to help the owner
finally focus on writing and income
entertain my first guests
figure out how to keep cool

So May was an excellent month. I’m loving my off grid experience and see no reason to go back to the broken social systems we currently live in. While cash flow and income will help expedite some of my obstacles, time will help develop a more comfortable routine.

When it does, I’ll shake things up a bit to promote growth and change.

I’d really like to hear from other people who aspire to live off the grid or have a location independent lifestyle. My future plans include using the resources of many to make an affordable, sustainable blueprint for social misfits (just like me, I never really fit into the norm of society, so I created my own) and people ready to drop out of the rat race.

I’d like to help you achieve your dreams and goals and would love to hear how you want to do that by sending an email to offgrid AT simplystephen DOT ca with the subject topic “location independent and off the grid”.